22 Sep 2018  •  Practice Management  •  3min read By  • John Clarke

Attending the BDIA show? How to make the most of the exhibition

If you’re thinking of making a positive change, attending the forthcoming BDIA Dental Showcase is likely to provide the inspiration you need to grow and maximise the profitability of your dental practice. The UK’s premier dental exhibition (4-6th October 2018ExCeL, London) will feature nearly 400 suppliers who will be demonstrating the products and services which could give your business an advantage over your competitors.

If you’re going to the BDIA show, here are four tips to help you to get the most out of the event.

Plan ahead

75% of exhibitors will be making special offers and price reductions specifically to those that commit to making a purchase at the BDIA show. Research the companies in attendance and identify the types of suppliers you wish to see to give yourself sufficient time for planned meetings and unscheduled conversations. Don’t forget your shopping budget, agree this in advance to get the best value from your available cash reserves.

It’s also a good idea to pre-register so that you receive the latest show news and promotional incentives delivered to your inbox, plus invitations to relevant seminars and networking events.

Be open to ideas

Attending exhibitions is an excellent opportunity to learn about concepts and innovations which you may never have considered before. According to recent research by the Oral Health Foundation, 48% of British adults claim they would be willing to pay more for dentistry. Would your business benefit from implementing new technology to provide additional cosmetic treatments, or perhaps a complete surgery refurbishment would transform the impression of your practice to patients by giving it a modern look and feel?

Visualising the outcome of your plan is proven to increase the likelihood of you sticking to and achieving your goal. Exhibitors at the BDIA Showcase have the necessary experience to bring your dream to life.

Follow-up afterwards

How many times have you returned from an exhibition with a carrier bag full of brochures and business cards which never see the light of day again? We’ve all done it but you could be missing out. Don’t waste potentially vital snippets of information you have gathered. Instead, take the time to read through it and follow-up with relevant exhibitors and business contacts you have made at the show. What may have seemed like an innocuous conversation could result in making a valuable contribution to your business.

Don’t seek finance at the last minute

Some trade show visitors leave thinking about finance options until the last minute. Don’t be faced with buyer’s remorse or enter into a finance agreement that you have not had chance to compare. It’s worth approaching a specialist finance provider in advance who can offer tailored funding solutions through an unsecured loan facility over a period of one to five years. This will enable you to spread the cost of refurbishments, practice relocations and purchasing specialist equipment and technology in a convenient and flexible way without placing a strain on your cash flow.

Whatever your business goals are, they need to start with clearly defined objectives. This could be anything from offering new treatments, to re-designing the layout of your practice, or improving your records and appointment bookings. You could even be looking to enter a partnership or buy a practice. Dental exhibitions offer a rare opportunity for you to obtain valuable knowledge, fresh ideas and the methods to help achieve your aims, so make the most of them.

Get all blogs delivered to your inbox

By subscribing to our blog, you agree to receiving our monthly blog update and newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time. The security of your personal data is very important to us and we will never sell your data to other companies. You can read more about how we protect your information and your rights by reading our privacy notice.